Ghost Hunter
by TheCrazyFool1995
Summary: When Renn turns 14, she is told some terrible news; she must leave the Ravens. She is sent away to live with the Foxes, an evil and mysterious clan. Torak must save her, and together they must find the fire opal and Thiazzi, but the concequinces are great
1. Chapter 1

One

The sun was setting low over the forest as Torak sat by the fire, whittling his new grouse bone whistle. Every now and then, he glanced over towards his best friend, Renn. She was busy helping his kinsman, Bale fix his skinboat which had almost been totally destroyed during the flood two moons previously. Jealousy was pulsing through his veins like the venom of a viper. She'd hardly spoken to him since he'd found out about her mother. Seeing as though she wouldn't talk to him, she spent all of her time with Bale instead. Torak felt as if he were being replaced. Suddenly he realized he was still whittling away and then looked down at his whistle; it was now only about the size of his little finger. Sighing, he discarded it and stood up, only to be knocked to the ground again. Wolf had just returned from hunting and had pounced on Torak, play biting and licking him. After a long play fight, Wolf trotted towards the forest and began to chew the hare that he'd caught. For a while he watched Wolf devour his hare until something caught his eye; Renn had left Bale and was now following the clan leader (her uncle) Fin-Kedinn into his shelter. Silently, Torak followed.

Renn entered the all-familiar shelter of her uncle. Everything was how it used to be. Curious to find out what her uncle wanted, she stopped and sat down on a pile of animal skins.

"Renn," said Fin-Kedinn, his eyes meeting hers. "As you are fully aware, it is your fourteenth birth-night soon. You may not be aware but fourteen is an important age for all young men and women." He paused. Renn wasn't sure, but she thought she heard sorrow in his voice. He coughed then continued. "At fourteen, it is the clan law that all girls and boys leave their birth clan and join the clan of their clan leader's choice." Renn's breath was caught in her throat.

"B-but," she stammered, unable to believe what her uncle had just said. "I'll have to leave you and everyone else. Will Torak…"

She looked at Fin-Kedinn, who shook his head.

"No. Torak has already left his birth clan and is being fostered by me. He won't be coming with you." At this, tears began to well up inside her. She might not ever see Wolf or Torak again.

"You will be fostered by the Deep Forest clan, the Foxes. Next summer you can return to the Ravens if you wish, although many don't." His face looked grave. Inside, Renn could tell he didn't want her to leave, but had no choice. "You leave tomorrow. You should start to pack now." Renn left, failing to hold back her tears any longer. If she looked behind her, she would have seen a single tear fall from her uncle's eyes and would have realized how much this was costing him.

Torak sank to the floor beside the shelter. He couldn't believe it. His only friend was to leave the clan and might not ever return. His head was spinning. If anything happened to her in the Deep Forest, he wouldn't find out until it was too late. The forest seemed to whisper about what it had heard. The weather also reflected his feelings; soon it began to rain. Unable to take it any longer, Torak stood up and began to search for Renn. He found her, sat underneath a sturdy oak, her head in her arms. Cautiously, he approached her.

"Renn," he said softly as he knelt beside her. "I know about… and I really want you to stay. I know you don't want to leave either. Is there anything…" Torak stopped as Renn raised her head. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. Everything that had happened in the past moons was forgotten.

"Torak," she said, tears still streaming down her face. "There is-s nothing, nothing you c-can d-d-do. I have t-to go t-tomo-r-rrow." Fresh tears rolled down Renn's pale face as she let out a howl of misery. Torak put a hand on her shoulder and handed her some cloth to wipe her eyes on. She gave him a forced smile and handed him back the cloth.

"Renn, who are the Fox Clan, I've never herd of them," said Torak, being careful not to upset Renn.

"The Foxes are a Deep Forest Clan," Renn told him. "Not many people have herd of them, they're very secretive, like their clan-creature. I don't know any Fox Clan people, I'm going to be rather lonely…" she said, a few more tears running down her face. At that moment, Bale sat down beside them. Renn then told him everything. By the end of it she was sobbing once more and Bale quickly came to her comfort. Torak felt something burn in his heart, but he didn't know what.

"But it's impossible!" cried Bale, making Torak start. "In my clan, girls don't have to leave. They can stay if they wish. All the sea clans are the same." Torak sighed.

"Bale, this is forest clan law, it's different to sea law and the north law. You're allowed to kill hunters, like the whale and the seal. We're not." Bale looked a little down-hearted at this.

"But what's going to happen in the search for the fire opal? I've got go back to the sea tomorrow and Renn's leaving tomorrow too? You can't do it by yourself, Torak." Said Bale, frowning.

"He's right, Torak. You can't do this by yourself." Whispered Renn, her face full of sorrow.

"We'll manage somehow." muttered Torak before getting up and walking into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

The next day seem to pass in a haze for Torak. He sat and watched the clan get ready, not just to say goodbye to Renn, but to several other youngsters who were leaving the clan, each going to join a different one. He watched Renn rushing around, trying to find her belongings. After a while, Wolf padded up to Torak and laid his head on Torak's lap. "_Why are you so sad?" _asked Wolf in wolf-talk. Torak scratched Wolf's flank. _"The pack sister is leaving."_ He replied. Wolf gave Torak a quizzical look before slumping down beside him with a thud.

Wolf didn't understand why Tall Tailless was so sad. For the past light and dark, he had sensed a biting sorrow in Tall Tailless, as well as anger, confusion, jealousy and other feelings, all rolled into one. All these emotions made Wolf's head hurt so much that he'd had to stick head in the fast wet to stop it hurting. The taillesses were so terribly confusing. Wolf also wondered where the pack sister could be going. He knew young male wolves left the pack to make a pack of their own, but he didn't think female wolves left the pack. And the strangest thing was that Tall Tailless and the pack sister hardly ever left the others side. So _why_ had everything changed now? He watched as Tall Tailless got up to join a crowd of taillesses. Wolf padded over to see what was going on; several taillesses, all nearly full grown, stood at the front of the crowd, waving their fore paws at the other taillesses, who were all saying goodbye to them, many of the parents had wet coming from their eyes. The pack sister was with the other young taillesses, wet running down her face. Wolf walked over and licked her hand. She said something in tailless talk and patted his head. Wolf sat down as the pack sister and Tall Tailless began to talk. Both of them had wet coming from their eyes by the time they'd finished. The pack sister then hugged Tall Tailless, before following the other taillesses into the forest.

Torak stood alone by the forest. Renn and the others had been gone for a while yet he hadn't got over what had happened. Torak couldn't believe that Renn was really gone. A twig snapped. Torak whipped round to see Fin-Kedinn walking towards him.

"Torak," he sighed, and Torak realized with a jolt how old he was getting. "I know how you feel. Both of us have had to say farewell to someone special to us. Just remember that things will get better." He walked away then stopped. "And Torak, don't follow her. You'll make it feel a hundred times worse for yourself." Torak watched as he walked away. What had he meant? How would following Renn make him feel worse than he was feeling now?

"Fin-Kedinn, wait!" called Torak, but the clan leader was already out of ear shot. Torak watched Wolf rolling around in some elk scat for a little while, his thoughts returning to what the Raven Clan leader had said. Soon Torak had drifted off to sleep in the warm evening air.

Torak woke with a start and shouted with pain. He looked at his arm and saw with horror that an arrow had pierced through it. His shout had woken the other Ravens who had come running to see what had happened. Fin-Kedinn was the first to see Torak. He rushed over and quickly cleaned the heavily bleeding wound, Torak shaking with shock.

"You'll be alright Torak; luckily you woke up soon enough for us to help you. Any later…" Torak didn't need him to finish his sentence. Already he was shaking from loss off blood. Thull and Luta, the two who Torak shared his shelter with began to search the forest.

"Come on!" cried Thull, "The culprit can't be far." He then lowered his voice. "Don't worry Torak, we'll find who shot you and they'll pay the price." Torak's head began to spin. Beside him Fin-Kedinn was trying to remove the arrow. He recognized it; it was one of Renn's, one that she must have left behind.

"Fin-Kedinn," muttered Torak. "The arrow. It's one of Renn's."

"It is. How very curious." Said Fin-Kedinn, examining the arrow protruding from his foster son's arm. "Just one second." He muttered before yanking it out. He quickly bandaged the wound with some deer hide before joining the rest of the clan in the attempt to find Torak's attacker. Their search was in vain and they all re-entered their shelter. Thull and Luta helped Torak inside, being careful not to wake their son, Dari. Dizzy with fatigue, Torak collapsed on to his sleeping sack. He didn't even notice the jolting pain in his stomach before falling asleep.

The deer was looking out into the vast forest. He swiftly bounded out into a clearing and paused. Not far away were three young people, two were boys; one was quite short with ebony black hair, the other was tall and gangly whose hair was a deep brown. The last of the youths was female. She was very pale with long, red hair. He trotted closer, trying to ignore his bleeding antlers.

"What clan are you going to Renn?" Asked the brown haired boy, breaking of a twig from an oak sapling.

"Fox." The pale girl muttered looking at her feet.

"Dahrin and I are joining the Boar Clan. Actually, we need to be heading that way." Said the shorter boy, pointing. After a hurried goodbye they left the girl called Renn who carried on a little way down the path until she stopped. Just past the bracken where she stood lay a vast camp. Cautiously, she edged through the bracken, and the deer quickly poked his head through the trees so he could see the camp. A tall man covered in scars addressed her.

"So, you must be Renn, how nice." He said his silky voice made the deer's tail flick up. "Well, first we must prepare you for the Fox way of life." He snapped his fingers and several men resembling boulders joined him. Before the girl could say a word, the feathers sewn on her shoulder were ripped off and a strip of red fur was sewn on in place. "Oh yes. Girl foxes don't hunt." He said grinning slyly before snapping her long wooden bow. The young girl looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Several women now hauled her to the ground. They pierced her skin, changing her old markings into different ones. They then dipped her long red hair in some foul smelling white liquid, making it look like a fox's tail. The deer looked around and noticed that all of these people had red hair with flecked on the ends. The young girl was brought to her feet, tears rolling down her face, blood trickling from her markings. "You are ready now." Said the man towering over her.

"How could you." The girl hissed, glaring at him.

"Quite easily." He said silkily. "Take her to her shelter and kill that deer. It'll make a nice broth." The girl was dragged away and a man knocked an arrow and aimed at the deer and fired. Unable to get away, the deer stumbled backwards. The arrow thudded in it's skull and all went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Torak leapt to his feet so fast that he slipped on his sleeping sack. The sun was only just rising over the mountains, but already he was packing, being careful not to wake anyone. It didn't matter what Fin-Kedinn had said; He was going after Renn. Torak crept out of the tent and saw Wolf waiting for him at the edge of the forest. It was as if Wolf had sensed Torak was going to find Renn all along. Torak sprinted towards Wolf as fast as he could. "_We're going to find the pack sister aren't we?"_ Wolf asked him. _"Yes." _answered Torak before running into the forest, Wolf following in his wake. Torak couldn't believe what the Fox Clan leader had done. It was against clan law to do that. "But that's forest clan law" Torak told himself. The image of that awful man's sly grin burned in Torak's mind. How could he do this? He'd tortured Renn by destroying her clan creature's feathers. He knew how that felt. When he was outcast, his strip of wolf fur had been burnt. He followed the ancient wolf trails the abruptly stopped. Not a bird was singing or an animal roaming. A cold wind whipped through the trees, a harsh, cruel voice was carried on it. Torak pressed on shaking the voice from his head. He didn't get far. Just as he passed a slumbering willow, he saw a terrible sight. He was terrified and he wanted to run away, but he couldn't. He stared transfixed at it. Gulping, he moved closer.

Beneath the willow lay the corpse of a young doe. The bodies of deer were often found in the undergrowth, usually the kill of a lynx or wolf. This kill was different. The body was untouched apart from two small puncture wounds at the doe's neck. The wounds however did not have blood trickling from them; instead a silvery substance was oozing from them. It made Torak shiver. He felt as though something was there. Just above the deer, he could see a wispy shadow floating above it. Wolf padded over and sniffed the body. _"Other, leave now!" _he said before running back behind the bushes. Torak didn't know what Wolf had meant by 'Other' but he knew he ought to leave. Turning on the spot, he carried on down the path.

Renn slumped against the pole she was tied to. It was no use; she couldn't break the raw hide bindings. Her face was searing with pain. When the Foxes had done the tattoos, they hadn't cleaned her skin before hand so now her face was swollen and infection was setting in. She couldn't believe what Thor, the clan leader had done. He'd broken her bow, her precious bow…

Anger pulsed through her veins. How could Fin-Kedinn do this to her? How could he send her to a clan where she could do nothing she loved? How could he separate her from Wolf and Torak? She stifled a cry. Torak would never know. He wouldn't look for her and she was sure she'd never be allowed to return to the Ravens. She stared around the shelter. It was nothing more than some hide propped up by poles, the largest of which she was tied to. At that moment Thor entered the hide-shelter, his cold, grey eyes burning into hers.

"Well, how are we?" he said, his silky voice washed over Renn like the coldest wave in the sea. Renn scowled then spat at his feet. His eyes filled with anger before he slapped her causing her face to burn with pain. Renn couldn't help but yell. Thor swiftly grabbed her chin and slammed her head against the pole.

"Get off me!" she hissed, trying to shake her head out of his grasp. Her efforts were in vain; he was much too strong.

"You are here for one purpose only." He whispered. "You will only leave when your purpose is fulfilled." The clan leader turned and left. Renn hung her head. She knew she wasn't going to get out of there by herself. If only there was someone who knew what was happening to her, then they might try to help her. It would be a miracle if anyone did know and they were coming to rescue her.

Torak was sat by the lake, staring at his wound and cringing as he tried to dab it. He'd been looking for Renn for three days without much luck. He'd found one of her red hairs snagged in a cloudberry bush yesterday, but other than that he'd found nothing. He'd managed to get his leg stuck in a snare in the early morning while Wolf was searching for Renn again and he'd had a lot of trouble trying to remove it from his leg. He was very fortunate though as it hadn't gone too deep to cause too much damage. Slowly Torak got to his feet and bandaged the wound. He limped through the forest before howling. _"Pack brother, come back."_ He called and within seconds Wolf was by his side._ "No sign of the pack sister."_ Wolf said and Torak hung his head. If he didn't find Renn soon, who knew what would happen to her. Torak scanned the trail and saw something that made his heart miss a beat. A foot print that had the same markings as Renn's beaver hide boots. Hurriedly they followed the prints. They followed them until mid-afternoon when they reached wild bracken circling a huge camp. Silently, they edged closer.

Wolf sniffed the air as he and Tall Tailless approached the Fox pack. He caught the scent of cooking deer and the slightest smell of the pack-sister. He looked at Tall Tailless who was peering through the bushes. Quietly Wolf slid underneath all the plants and thorns and snuck into the Fox tailless' den. He slunk past a few of the pack members then sensed that the pack leader was nearby. Wolf saw him; he was barking orders to his pack in tailless talk. Wolf knew immediately he was a bad tailless, like the ones who'd captured him and taken him to the big cold land where nothing grew. Beside him was the pack-sister but if it weren't for her scent, he wouldn't have known it was her. She had different markings on her skin and her raven feathers had been replaced by fox fur. He knew she loathed her knew pack leader and wanted to escape from him and his pack. A sudden yell from a tailless made Wolf start. He had seen Tall Tailless and several huge male taillesses were dragging him out of the bushes. Before he knew it, several taillesses ran up to Wolf, hurling several Bright-Beasts-That-Bite-Hot at him. Wolf tried to fend them off, but they bit hard making him yelp in pain. The taillesses grabbed him and bound him. He tried to escape but he couldn't. He and Tall Tailless were trapped.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

Renn looked at Torak, gaping. She quickly wiped the expression from her face so not to give him away. How did he find her? Her mind was reeling with possibilities, each getting more absurd. Thor strode towards Torak and held his knife under Torak's throat.

"Now what do we have here." He said, his eyes glinting. "A spy perhaps, trying to discover our Mages secrets? Or are you a thief, trying to steal our possessions?" His eyes shone red as he grasped his knife harder. "You!" he barked at Renn, making her start. "Take him to your shelter and tie him up. We will discuss his fate." Renn cautiously walked forward and grabbed Torak. She was strongly reminded about how she treated him when they were escaping her clan a few summers ago when they first met. She quickly pushed him into her shelter and tied him to the post, but loosely.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"I Spirit Walked and saw them torturing you. I couldn't just let them do it to you. I had to help!" Renn cringed. She was grateful, but he had now put himself in more danger than she was in.

"Torak, you've got to get out of here! These Foxes, there not like normal people! They don't follow the clan law. They'll kill you without a second thought. You've got to-" she stopped as a young Fox girl entered the shelter, dragging Wolf behind her.

"The Clan Leader wants to talk to all of us now." She said. Nervously she followed the girl out of the shelter. In the center of the camp stood Thor, surrounded by everyone and as they approached he addressed them all.

"The Elders and I have discussed the boy's punishment. Tomorrow he will be taken to the Thunder Falls. He will be tied to some boulders and will be left to drown." As the Foxes nodded in agreement, Renn gaped at him, horror-struck. What kind of people killed people for being around their camp?

"No one is to talk to him or have any contact him in any way." said the Mage, an ancient man who was completely bald except for a few wispy hairs. As the others prepared for the evening meal, Renn snuck back into the shelter.

"What!" hissed Torak as Renn finished her sentence. She had told him everything the Foxes had said.

"What kind of clan kills people without discussing it with other clans first?" asked Torak, still not quite believing what Renn had told him.

"Well apparently the Foxes do. I asked a girl if they did this a lot and she told me they usually kill a few people a year. No one comes looking for the missing people, thinking they've fallen pray to a bear." Renn was still trying to get over the shock from being told that.

"It's just like their clan creature," said Torak. "It kills for no reason." Renn looked at Wolf, who was licking his burnt paws. It must have been terribly painful. "Renn," said Torak softly, making her jump. "There is no way out. You'll have to destroy the fire opal by yourself."

"No I won't!" she cried. No one would hear her; they were all on a hill entertaining. "I'll stay behind; I'll untie you so you can escape!"

"Renn, they won't let you come, you can't do anything." He said, trying to make her understand. Renn stormed towards the shelter opening. Before she left, she glared at Torak.

"Just you wait and see." She hissed before striding across the camp into the forest.

Torak waited for dawn to come. Outside he could hear the trees whispering about what was to come. Wolf lay whining behind him, every now and then attempting to bite through the raw hide rope that he was tied to. After what seemed like days, the Fox Clan Leader entered the shelter with several large men.

"Gag and blindfold him." He commanded. The men untied him from the post, gagged him and blindfolded him then tied his hands behind his back. Torak shuddered with fear as the men marched him out of the shelter. For a long time they marched, Torak stumbling over rocks every now and then. Once he fell to the ground and one of the men hit him as they roared with laughter. Suddenly, he heard Wolf howl. _"Where are you?" _he asked, but Torak couldn't reply. He couldn't have told Wolf what was going to happen before because in wolf-talk, there is no future. Soon he could hear the Thunder Falls. His death was approaching. The men stopped abruptly. They removed the scrap of skin blindfolding him. Torak could see the falls in the distance. A few paces away lay the river. It was so deep he couldn't see the bottom. Again he shuddered. Silently, the men gathered four huge boulders. They bound them tightly to Torak's ankles and wrists. The weight of them forced Torak to his knees.

"I doubt he'll need these." Said the leader and, grinning menacingly, he threw Torak's weapons and tools into the river.

"What Clan are you? I'm not familiar with your tattoos." He asked, gripping his spear.

"Wolf." Said Torak defiantly, raising his head.

"They won't miss him." Whispered the Fox leader, pushing Torak into the freezing river.

Torak sank down deeper and deeper. He writhed around in the water, trying desperately to slip the bindings off. He tried to untie himself, but as his hands were still tied behind him, it made it an impossible task. Around him, the Hidden People laughed at him.

"_Drift free, boy with the walking souls. Drift free from that heavy, heavy body."_ Torak's surroundings began to get darker. His lungs were bursting. Finally, he reached the river bed. The Hidden People beckoned him to join them. Just as Torak was drifted off to sleep, he felt a knife whoosh nearby as he was slowly dragged to the surface.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

Torak coughed and spluttered as he gulped down a huge lungful of air. Shivering from the cold of the river, Torak rolled over to see Bale dragging his skinboat ashore. He'd never been so glad to see his kinsman in all his life.

"H-how did y-you f-f-find me-e?" asked Torak, his teeth chattering. Bale turned around and grinned.

"You wouldn't be here if Renn wasn't so good at mage-craft. She told me in a dream that you were going to be killed by this man called Thor. She told me where you were going to be killed and everything." Torak's gratitude soared towards Bale. He also felt bad for doubting Renn.

"How did you get here so fast?" Torak said, shivering again.

"I was trading with the Sea-Eagles when Renn told me." Bale answered. "Renn said she'd meet us here I hope she got away okay…" Bale's voice trailed as he started to fiddle with a bit of raw hide anxiously. Torak began to untie his feet and hands, (although Bale had already severed the hide tying him to the boulders and the rope binding his hands behind him) looking up at every little noise. Suddenly he heard the trees rustle behind him. He turned round and was engulfed by a mass of grey fur licking every inch of him. Torak laughed as Wolf licked is nose; his warm tongue was welcome after the freezing cold of the river. Behind Wolf emerged Renn. She was severely scratched, but was smiling all the same.

"Thank the World Spirit you got here in time!" she said to Bale as she knelt beside Wolf and scratched his flank. She noticed Torak looking at her scratches.

"Oh, I fell into a thorn bush." She said. "No one saw me; they were too busy listening to Thor about how you jumped into the lake voluntarily and swam to the bottom." She frowned. "You didn't really, did you?"

Torak gave her an astounded look.

"No! They tied me to some boulders and pushed me in!" A look of relief crept up on Renn's face. Wolf then sat beside Torak with a 'humph!'

"I think we'd better move somewhere else. Once those Foxes realize your missing, they're bound to look here." Renn and Torak nodded in agreement and clambered into Bale's skinboat. Torak noticed that all his things the Fox leader had thrown into the lake were sitting inside it, including his mother's medicine horn and his father's knife. Silently Bale paddled them down stream as Renn and Torak kept an eye for Foxes and a place to make camp. Eventually, they found a deer's abandoned thicket and decided to sleep there. After a small but satisfying meal of dried deer meat that Bale had brought, they began to drift off to sleep. That is, all except Renn.

Renn sat by the smoldering fire, unable to sleep. She crawled out of the thicket and stared into the night sky. Just in the horizon Renn could see the red eye of the auroch. In just one moon, the demons would be at their strongest. Renn walked towards the bank of the river and drank. Once more she stared at the red eye and became lost in thought about what Thor had said a few days ago. _"You are here for one purpose only. You will only leave when your purpose is fulfilled."_ The words had been echoing inside her head ever since. What had he meant? She feared if she found out, she would never live to tell the tale. She'd guessed this from what the Foxes had done to Torak. They would kill without a second thought. All the happiness she'd had of finding out Torak was okay had vanished. The auroch eye glared at her, mocking her. Renn glanced across the river and her heart clenched with horror. Just a little way off the opposite shore five men carrying burning braches high above their heads were walking. Despite it being dark, Renn knew immediately who the leader was; his ebony black hair and dark, cold eyes glinted in the moon light. It was Thor. Silently Renn crept back towards the thicket. She quickly snuck inside, unaware that the dark, cold eyes had seen her.

"He's here!" Renn hissed loudly in Torak's ear. Torak sat up so quickly he banged his head on the roof of the thicket, causing several branches to fall down. Over the next few minutes, the three of them scrambled around trying to find all of their gear. Not far away, Torak could hear the shouts of men; they knew where they were. After what seemed like hours, they were ready. The three of them sprinted out of the thicket. On the river Torak saw the shadows of men trying to wade across the fast flowing river. All of a sudden there was a streak of grey as Wolf joined them after his hunt. Wolf respectfully slowed and waited for Torak. _"Go as fast as you can!" _Torak told him and soon he was engulfed by the darkness as he sped off. Behind him, Torak smelt burning. Bale groaned; it was his precious skinboat. Torak glanced back and saw with horror that the Foxes weren't that far behind. His heart was pounding. Suddenly there was a whoosh as something sped past his ear. He looked down and realized it was an arrow. Beside him was Renn. She looked at him, her face pale. She to had realized they were being shot at. They wove in and out between the trees. The sounds of their pursuers had lessened but they were all tiring quickly. Torak heard a thump just behind him. He spun round and saw that Bale had fallen over a tree root.

"C'mon, we've got to keep going! We can do it!" Torak panted as he and Renn helped Bale to his feet. Torak knew what he said wasn't true. The Foxes were quickly catching up. He watched Renn walk over to some willows. She peered through them and jumped with glee.

"The river! We've reached the river!" Torak and Bale joined her by the bank.

"We can swim it!" she cried, jumping up and down. Wolf was suddenly at Torak's side.

"You two go on. I'll join you in a second." Together Renn and Bale leaped into the river and began to swim with the current. Beside him Wolf whined. He knew Wolf didn't like the water. He'd lost his pack in a flood. _"You can do it."_ Urged Torak. Wolf whined again and looked at Torak._ "Will you be with me?"_ asked Wolf. _"Of course, pack brother." _said Torak, licking his muzzle. An arrow whooshed overhead as for the second time Torak plunged into the freezing river, Wolf by his side.

The cold water washed over Torak as he jumped in. The current was very strong so Torak didn't have to kick much. He just clung on to Wolf, making sure his pack brother's head was above the surface. Torak could hear the angry cries of the Fox men, firing arrows at them, but none of them reached Torak and Wolf. The current grew stronger and Torak clung on to Wolf harder to make sure they weren't separated. They were dragged further and further down the river, smashing into rocks. Torak yelled out as the Hidden People groped at his ankles, trying to pull him under. Huge waves crashed over them, causing Wolf to yelp and struggle with fear. In the distance he saw Bale and Renn clinging to a log which was stuck on two huge protruding rocks. Above the sound of the spray, Bale called to him.

"IT'S A WATERFALL!" shouted Bale. "GET TO SHORE!" Torak swam as hard as he could, but the current was much too strong. Wolf and Torak were pulled ever closer to the log. There was an almighty crack as Torak and Wolf smashed into the log. It broke in half and the four of them plummeted down the waterfall.


	6. Chapter 6

Six

Pain coursed through Torak's body. Every inch of him felt as if it was on fire. He tried to lift his head but the pain was so intense he could only lift it a centimeter. Eventually he gained enough strength to sit up. He found himself sitting on the bank of the river about fifty paces from the waterfall. Nearby Bale was struggling to clamber ashore.

"Ow, that really hurt." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Where's Renn and Wolf?" he continued, looking around for them. Panic seized Torak. He quickly jumped up and waded into the river.

"Bale, you look for them on the shore." Torak shouted. Bale nodded and began to search the reed bed. After several agonizing minutes, Torak heard Bale shout to him.

"I've found Wolf, he's okay, he was hiding in the reeds." A little relief washed over Torak, but they still hadn't found Renn. Bale went to look further in land as Torak continued to look in the river, dreading what he might find. As he peered into some reeds, something caught Torak's eye; it was a hand. His heart pounded in his throat as he pulled back the reeds. He shook as he looked at Renn's pale face, her hair rippling like sea weed in the water. He grabbed her hand. It was as cold as ice. Carefully he dragged her on land.

"Bale, I've found her!" he called. As he waited he made a fire beside his best friend and threw his sleeping sack over her. The trees rustled as Bale ran through them. Upon seeing Renn, Bale turned white.

"Is she…" Bale started looking at Torak.

"No, but she's really cold, like ice." Said Torak. Bale handed him his sleeping sack and Torak threw that over Renn too. All they could do was wait.

Renn opened her eyes. Her surroundings were terribly hazy. Somewhere above her she could just make out someone's face. Gradually they came into focus and she realized that it was Torak, worry etched on his face. All of her bones ached. She felt warm fur next to her. Slowly she sat up. Every movement exhausted her. Not far away Torak stood, tending to the fire. When he noticed she was up, he gave her a rare, wolfish grin.

"I'm glad you're okay, we were really worried. We couldn't find you. When we did we thought…" Torak stopped and gulped. Renn knew what he meant. She remembered that when she was still conscious, she could hear Torak and Bale searching for her and calling her name. She didn't think they'd ever find her. Renn looked around but couldn't see Bale. Torak sensed who she was looking for.

"Bale's gone hunting," said Torak. "He'll be back soon." Renn stroked Wolf absent mindedly. She wondered where the Fox men were. She just hoped they weren't anywhere nearby. From behind her, Bale appeared, carrying two pheasants.

"I was lucky; I found a clearing where these two were pecking for food." He said, holding up the two plump birds. In silence, he and Torak skinned the birds and then made a broth from their bodies. Renn's mouth watered as the smell of their cooking meal reached her nose. After it was done, the boys stuck three pieces of pheasant in a willow, one for each of their clan creatures. Renn looked down and saw with horror that the fox skin was still on her jerkin. Torak noticed and knelt beside her.

"I know you don't like your new clan so I got you this." He showed her some beautiful, new raven feathers. "I prepared them too, just so you know." She ripped of the fox skin and he handed her the raven feathers. Renn beamed at him.

"T-thank y-you!" she stammered as Torak stood up and sat back down beside Bale once more. After she'd finished her meal, Renn sewed on her feathers, glad that she was no longer a Fox. She couldn't stop grinning for the whole evening. That was until Bale called them. He had gone to find a place to make a shelter for them. When he called, it sounded urgent. Torak raced off, Wolf at his heels, Renn following them a little behind. He was standing at the edge of a small cliff, the ground about ten paces below. But the ting that was down there was so awful that it made her gag. It was so horrendous but all she could do was stare transfixed at it.

Torak stared down the cliff in horror. He was amazed the creature hadn't seen them yet. Down the cliff lay the body of a young lynx. Bending over it, drinking what looked like its souls was some kind of creature. It looked almost like a child, but Torak knew that it couldn't be. The monster was translucent silver, the same colour as the moon. It had huge fangs and massive clawed hands. Its skin was like the scales of a snake. The things eyes were red and glinting. The skin of the monster was sunken and clung to nothing but bones, like a rotting corpse. Torak edged closer but accidentally knocked a stone down the cliff. As the stone clattered down the cliff, the creature looked up and glared at them. It hissed then flew up the cliff and bounded into the night.

"What in the name of the World Spirit was that!" said Bale, taking a step back. Beside him Wolf leapt down and sniffed at the lynx._ "Other, leave now!" _he said before backing away, whining. The cat's body had a silvery mist hanging over it which was oddly familiar…

"I've seen this before." Whispered Torak. "When I was looking for you, Renn. There was a dead doe by a willow that had that mist hanging over it. The same creature that we saw drinking that lynx's soul was the same one that killed the deer." Renn looked at him, her face almost completely white.

"Bu-but what _is_ this creature?" Stuttered Renn, touching her new clan creature feathers. Torak looked at Bale who was so pale he looked like were dead.

"I really hope we don't find out." Said Torak before walking back to the river.

Torak sat by the river, his eyes red from no rest. None of them had dared sleep or go back into the forest after they'd seen that monster. Every little noise made them start. Whenever a bird sang, they would jump to their feet, weapons in hand. Torak stared across the river, pinching himself if he started to fall asleep. The sun was just rising, its rays making everything in the surrounding area beautiful. Just along the river Renn knelt by her fishing net. Torak's body was heavy with fatigue. He lent against a rock, still watching Renn as she removed a fish from her net. Beside Torak Bale was sleeping, obviously too tired to stay awake any longer. Suddenly Renn screamed. Torak darted towards her and saw with horror that an arrow was protruding from her shoulder. He knelt beside her when a strong arm put him in a hold under his chin. The persons hand covered his eyes. He could hear Bale and Renn struggling on either side of him. Not far behind him, he could hear a cold, cruel laugh.

"Got you at last." Said the Fox Leader.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

Torak struggled against the Fox man holding him, but he was much too strong. Wolf was whimpering not far away.

"Leave the wolf," shouted Thor. "He is of no use to us." Torak heard the men hit Wolf to make him leave. Torak heard him whine then run away.

"Good. Now take them away." Torak was forced forward. Bale and Renn stumbled. The man holding Torak took his hand of his eyes. Renn screamed. Torak saw that she had fallen. The man holding her had slit her arm with his knife.

"Shall I kill her now?" he asked, looking at Thor.

"NO!!" shouted the Fox Leader. "He needs her! If she dies, heads will roll!" Torak's heart missed a beat. Who was it that needed Renn? What would they do to her? Not far away Thor was now talking to an elderly man. Torak gathered he was the mage; he was holding a staff. He leaned forward to hear what they were saying.

"Thiazzi said that once we have the girl that looks like the World Spirit, we need to find the Spirit Walker." Said Thor. "He said it's a Wolf Clan boy who can actually talk to wolves. Do you think you can locate him?" The elderly man nodded.

"Yes, I will be able to. I'm afraid it will take me a couple of moons though." Thor nodded then continued to talk to the old man. They were so quiet Torak couldn't hear but he didn't need to. Thiazzi was the root of all of this. Torak was furious with himself. Why hadn't he realized this before? Why hadn't guessed that the Soul Eaters had something to do with this? He hardly noticed that they had stopped to make camp. The three of them were tied to a tree a little away from the camp. Torak thought it was safe to tell Renn and Bale what he'd heard. He didn't realize he was wrong.

Renn starred at Torak, gaping. She couldn't believe it.

"Are you absolutely positive that Thor was talking about the Oak Mage?" She whispered. Torak sighed.

"Yes, I'm sure." He said. Renn's heart was frozen with fear

"Now I know what Thor meant by 'my purpose'." Renn muttered.

"What?" said Bale, his eyebrows raised. Renn glanced at him.

"Thor said that I was there for one purpose only and would only leave once my purpose was fulfilled." Torak gave her the 'why didn't you tell me this before' look, but Renn just did her best to ignore him. She really didn't need this now. Somewhere in the forest, Wolf howled.

"What's he saying?" Renn asked Torak, looking at him.

"Other coming, run." Said Torak, looking puzzled. "He's been saying that a lot, you know. He's always telling me about something the called the 'Other'. I don't know what the 'Other' is, but I'm guessing it's not good." Renn frowned. What Torak had said was worrying her. What was the 'Other' that was frightening Wolf so much? She really didn't want to know, but feared that she would, and soon.

Wolf ran through the forest, the Otherness snapping at his hind paws. He knew he had to find Tall Tailless and warn him about the Otherness. He wove in and out of the trees. He could smell that Tall Tailless, the pack sister and the pale-pelted tailless were nearby. Everywhere he went, the Otherness tried to pull him back. He knew if he stopped that he would become Not-Breathe, the Otherness would make sure of that. He was tired, but he had to keep going. He sensed that the bad taillesses were still with Tall Tailless, but that didn't stop him. The Otherness was closing in. It was fast, but even though he was very tired, Wolf knew he was faster. Just through the trees he could see Tall Tailless and the others. Behind him, the Otherness screamed. It didn't want him to reach Tall Tailless first. It wanted to release its full wrath there. He pressed on. Wolf leapt through the bracken._ "Otherness here. Leave now!"_ he said. He saw Tall Tailless struggle to remove the bindings on him. All of a sudden the Otherness burst through the trees.

The demons burst upon them. The tree that Bale, Torak and Renn were tied to became up rooted. The three of them were flung from it. The Foxes yelled and shouted, screaming for mercy. All around there were people being thrown around; the great wind that came with the demons was tearing down trees and shelters. Thor was cowering by a tree as a monstrous black demon approached him. Torak looked wildly around for Wolf, Renn and Bale. He felt a demon grab his ankle, but Torak was too quick for it; he unsheathed his knife and sliced its wrist. The demon recoiled, screaming. Torak tore through the trees. Renn was pinned to a tree by one of the monsters. Torak sliced through its arm. The demon collapsed. Torak quickly grabbed Renn's hand and ran back into the heat of the battle. The Foxes were putting up a good battle against the advancing demons. Arrows were soaring everywhere, ranks of demons were on the floor dying, but the Foxes efforts were in vain. Everywhere the bodies of men and women lay, blood pouring from their wounds. Screams echoed through the forest as people died. The old man Thor had been talking to lay dead. His heart had been ripped out and a nearby demon sat devouring it. Torak's gorge rose. He saw Wolf and Bale fighting several demons not far away.

"WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!!" he cried. Wolf chased of the last demon before following Bale. Torak glanced towards Thor who knelt on the floor, demons advancing upon him. Beside him Renn knocked an arrow in her bow. She fired, slaughtering two of them. Suddenly a voice boomed as the four of them turned to leave.

"YOU FOOL!" It cried, echoing all around. "THE BOY IS THERE! STOP HIM OR PERISH!!" Thor's eyes met Torak's. He could see a fire burning in the Fox Leader's eyes, full of anger and hatred. He drew his knife but he was too late. A colossal demon had risen from the ground and Torak guessed why all this had happened; Thiazzi had lost control of the demons and his anger and was punishing Thor for his mistakes. The giant demon roared as the other demons soared into its body. Torak felt Wolf shaking beside him. Torak knelt by his pack brother and put his arms around his neck. Bale and Renn did the same as Torak. The four of them braced themselves for the inevitable. They watched as the demon blotted out the sun. They could hear the whole forest screaming; Clans, animals and even the trees were screaming. All of a sudden everything was silent. No one moved. Every one just watched in horror as the demon roared. In seconds it was over. The ground shook, sending people flying. Torak looked round at Renn, her face was pale and her whole body was shaking. Torak closed his eyes. He felt himself fly through the air as the place where he was kneeling cracked. When he landed, all went black.

Torak awoke suddenly. All around there was screaming and crying. Wolf lay beside him, cowering and whimpering. The sun had reappeared and the demons had gone, but with the light, a scene of devastation had unfolded. All around there were people screaming, searching for loved ones. The Foxes weren't the only ones here; a small group of Forest Horses sat crying by the body of a young girl. Fifteen or so Boar Clan people were looking desperately for a missing person. Dead lay everywhere, a lot of them were Foxes. Torak hugged Wolf around the neck. He didn't usually like this, but at the moment, he didn't mind._ "Don't worry."_ Torak told him, stroking his glossy grey fur. Slowly Torak staggered to his feet. Pain coursed through a gash in his leg, but he didn't care. He limped around the destroyed camp, Wolf by his side.

"Renn! Renn where are you?" he cried, panic setting into him. So much had gone wrong in half a moon. He just hoped nothing worse was to come. His heart jolted when he saw Renn lying by a tree, blood pouring from a wound on her forehead. He sat beside her and handed her a birch bast bandage. She looked at Torak. Suddenly she buried her face into Torak's shoulder, crying.

"What's wrong?" said Torak, worried what was to come.

"T-the de-de-demons to-ook B-Bale!" she sobbed.

Torak knew he was wrong.

Things had just got worse.

A lot worse.


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

Torak looked at Renn gaping. Bale taken by demons? It couldn't be true. Torak knelt beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Renn, please say you didn't see them take Bale. Please say they didn't." Renn shook her head. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"I can't, Torak." She whispered. "They swarmed on him. They took him, carried him into the forest. I tried to stop them, I did, honestly!" Renn began to sob once more, her shoulders shaking like mad. Wolf slowly padded up to Torak and lay by his feet. _"The Otherness took the pale tailless!"_ he said, whining. Absently, Torak stroked Wolf._ "I know."_ He said._ "We need to find him."_ Wolf stood up and stared into the forest._ "I know where he is."_ Said Wolf. Torak was going to question him, but saw that look of certainty on his face. At the moment he was the Guide, knowing everything for no reason.

"C'mon Renn." He muttered, helping her up. "We need to find Bale."

"How do you know where he is?" asked Renn, wiping her eyes.

"I don't, but Wolf does." He whispered. He strode off towards Wolf who was trotting into the forest. Renn, looking a little puzzled followed Torak. All around the forest the screams and cries of people mourning the dead, searching for the missing or helping the injured echoed all around. The damage the demons had caused had affected the whole forest. Wolf led them through many thickets, taking them on hidden paths.

"Where are we?" asked Renn, looking around the unfamiliar area.

"We're near Lake Axehead, I think." Said Torak. For many hours Wolf led them through the forest. Torak soon found out that he was right; Wolf was leading them by Lake Axehead, where the Otter Clan made their camp. Awful memories of what had happened nearly three moons ago sprung into Torak's head. The events that had happened by the lake made his stomach twist uncomfortably. He stared across the lake's black waters. He had an awful feeling that they were being watched…

"Torak. TORAK!" Renn hissed." Are you listening?" Torak jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Did you hear that a second ago?" Whispered Renn.

"No, but I do think we're being watched. Wait, what's that?" Torak looked up. A branch had just broken in the willow above them. In the tree, the same ghost-like monster was glaring at Torak and Renn. Torak could definitely tell that it was some sort of child. The creature hissed and spat at them like some monstrous snake. Its clawed hands scrabbled at some higher branches, trying to get out of reach, but it was too late. An arrow whistled by Torak and thudded in the creature's chest. It screamed like a crow then fell from the tree. Renn quickly ran towards the monster's body.

"This is weird." She muttered. "This creature. It's like a demon-ghost." She prodded it with a stick. "You can touch it like a demon, but it has the appearance of a ghost. I doubt Saeunn has seen anything like it." Wolf growled at the demon-ghost's body.

"Why is that weird?" asked Torak, utterly bemused.

"It's weird because you can't usually combined demons and ghosts. A demon is nothing more than a solid shadow full of evil and hatred. A ghost is a person who's lost their Name Soul. They have an eerie glow and can't be touched." Torak looked down once more at the demon-ghost. It was a young girl, just like the one by the lynx. They couldn't tell before. Torak looked closely at the girl's neck. Around it was a necklace, that had a three pronged fork etched into the centre stone.

"The Soul Eaters created her." Whispered Torak. "She's wearing their sign. Renn gazed at her in horror.

"Thiazzi." She muttered.

For the next few hours Torak and Renn followed Wolf. Renn had been extremely anxious since they'd found the demon-ghost. Torak had said there was probably more around and Renn had an awful feeling that he was right. She would jump around at every sound as if expecting Thiazzi and one of his monsters to be sneaking up on them. Renn was very tired and with every step pain coursed through her feet, but Wolf just carried on as though they'd only been going for a couple of minutes. The surroundings were familiar, but she couldn't remember when she'd been here. They had crossed many valleys; so many that Renn had lost count. Only at dawn did they stop. Renn sat down and rubbed her sore and blistered feet. They had been walking constantly for over half a day and Renn had been barefoot for the whole duration; she'd lost her boots in the demon attack. Torak muttered something about going to find some food, but Renn wasn't playing much attention to him. Her mind wandered back to the ghost she'd killed. She was so confused. If it was a ghost, it couldn't be killed or touched. If it was a demon, it should be black with no distinguishing features; just huge red eyes and a gaping hole for a mouth. The all of this made her feel dizzy and sick. Wolf trotted up towards her. He licked her nose, wagged his tail and started nuzzling her pouch. Renn laughed then dug into it, retrieving some dried lingonberries. She placed them by Wolf, who quickly snuffled them up then tried to lick the juice off his nose. Renn laughed once more then realizing how much it hurt, stopped; she hadn't laughed in at least two moons. Suddenly she heard Torak shout her. Renn jumped to her feet and ran to where Torak was, Wolf close behind her. She reached him in a matter of minutes.

"What's wrong?" she panted; sweat pouring down her face from running full pelt up two hills. Torak looked at her, his eyes wide and fearful.

"I think I know where Wolf was taking us." He whispered, pointing. Renn looked where he was pointing and gasped.

"I don't believe it. I wish it was anywhere but here!" she said.

Torak stared at the Stone Mouth as if waiting for it to swallow them down. Although he was over twenty paces away from it, he could still smell the awful copse sent coming from within the cage. Memories of the last time they came here rushed back to him. The Watchers… the hand sign… the spiral of stone claws…the bear. It all rushed back to Torak. He shivered, but not from the cold. Beside him Wolf sniffed the air._ "The pale pelted tailless! The Otherness took him into the mouth!"_ said Wolf rushing towards the cave. He whined slightly; Torak knew if the Stone Mouth smelt awful to him, it was much worse for Wolf.

"Bale's not in there is he?" said Renn, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I'm afraid so." Muttered Torak, walking towards the cave, gagging because of the smell. "The demons took him there. At the end of the cave is a passage to the Otherworld. I just hope…" Torak stopped. If the demons had taken Bale to the Otherworld, they had practically no chance of getting him out alive. If they went into it too…

"I guess we'd better, well go in." whispered Renn. Torak nodded and together they entered the cave

The smell hit the three of them in a huge wave. Wolf whined as Renn and Torak gagged and spluttered.

"Breathe through your mouth!" Torak shouted to Renn. He quickly opened his tinder pouch and woke up a rushlight. Carefully they edged through the cave, the smell clinging to their throats. A whoosh of wings told Torak that the Watchers knew they were there. As Watcher swooped upon him, Torak wobbled and would have fallen of the ledge he, Renn and Wolf were standing on if Renn hadn't caught the back of his jerkin.

"It's not much further now!" coughed Torak. Suddenly he fell forward into an opening. He fell against the wall and then leapt from it as a burning pain shot through his back; he had touched the stone claw spiral. Somewhere in the darkness above them, the Watchers screamed, warning them back.

"We're here." Muttered Torak. Wolf shook as he and Renn clambered through the opening. "It's around here somewhere." Torak whispered. He heard Renn walk into a nearby chamber, her footsteps echoing noisily.

"Torak!" Came her whisper from within the chamber. "I've found it!" Slowly Torak crept towards the chamber, being careful to avoid the Watchers. As he stepped into it, he gasped; a red glow, similar to the fire opal's glow illuminated the walls. The portal had a terrible beauty. It was the shape of an eye with swirls of red and black within it.

"Do you reckon Bale is in there?" whispered Renn. Torak looked at Wolf._ "The pale pelted tailless is in there."_ He said. Torak nodded.

"Wolf says so." He replied. Renn gulped.

"I guess we should go and get him." She muttered. Torak grasped her hand. Wolf trotted into the portal and hand in hand Renn and Torak followed.


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

A swirl of fire engulfed Torak. Flames licked at his calves as demons screamed above him. He was still falling; they had been for a while. Wolf howled in fright as huge black demons swirled around them. Renn was several paces below them, her red hair rippling just like the fire. Wolf looked at him, his amber eyes wide with fear. He grabbed his pack brother and held him close.

"Torak, I can see water!" cried Renn, her voice faint from the whistle of the wind and the scream of the demons. He looked down and saw that she was right; a fiery red lake was below them, waves rippling on its bloody surface. Torak braced himself. He heard an almighty crash as Renn it the water. All of a sudden he was in a world of black weeds, warm water washing over him. With all his strength he swam to the surface, Wolf held securely under his arm. As he broke through the surface he gulped in a huge lungful of air. Renn was floating nearby, her face very pale.

"Quickly, get to shore!" shouted Torak. The pair of them swam to shore, Wolf clinging onto Torak's back with his front paws. Gasping, Torak and Renn clambered onto the stony banks of the river. Wringing her hair Renn turned to Torak.

"So this is the Otherworld." muttered Renn, looking around. Torak glanced around his surroundings. The huge red lake stretched as far as the eye could see. Despite the huge body of water, the land was bare and barren. Huge cracks zigzagged across the bone dry land. Red canyons rose high above them, huge bottomless ditches lay all around. An intense heat crept up on Torak, made a hundred times worse with the lack of wind and shelter. The sky was red with many black swirls of demons. A gaping hole was right above them; the portal back to the mortal world.

"How exactly are we going to get back?" said Torak, casting around for a means to get up there.

"We'll worry about that later." replied Renn, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Come on, we need to find Bale, and soon." Torak trudged behind her as she led the way, leaping over openings. He had a feeling that that they wouldn't be finding Bale as soon as Renn had hoped.

Wolf padded along the dusty ground, sniffing the air. The Otherness was all around; in the fast wet, the air, the ground, and the rocks. Everywhere he went, the stench of it surrounded him. Tall Tailless and the pack sister were following the fast wet in search of the pale pelted tailless. He could hear them panting and puffing, exhausted from their short walk. One thing Wolf had learnt whilst with the taillesses was that they got tired_ very_ quickly. Wolf raced in front of them then stopped to let Tall Tailless catch up; he was after all pack-leader. For some reason Wolf was certain that the pale pelted tailless was this way. He knew this feeling well for it happened on several occasions. On and on the padded, for many lopes until Tall Tailless and the pack sister slumped down by a rock, too tired to carry on. Wolf sat by Tall Tailless and licked his nose._ "The pale pelted tailless is this way, I'm sure"_ Wolf told him, licking him once more. Tall Tailless looked at him and groaned._ "How far?"_ he asked, wiping his forehead. Wolf looked at Tall Tailless. He knew he was very tired but what worried him the most was that he sensed his great hunger. He and the pack sister might not make it._ "Many lopes"_ said Wolf. He padded a little away from the two taillesses before lying down to sleep, dreams of him alone on the land of the Otherness.

Torak stared into the sun-less sky. Since they had woken they hadn't stopped walking, desperate to reach Bale before having to endure another sleepless night. The only way they could tell what time it was, was with the phases of red sky and black sky. Torak wasn't even sure this was night, but if it was then days were very short in the Otherworld. He looked back at Renn who had become grey with hunger. Torak also felt it; his stomach roared, desperate for something. They had searched many times, but there was no food; no animals, no berries and no fish. Every step took all there strength and even Wolf was tiring from lack of food. That day when he was so happy three moons ago seemed like a hundred summers away. He felt as if there was no hope, as if they should just give up and wait to die. He wondered how he was going to put death marks on him and Renn without earth blood. He pushed that out his mind and staggered on, the heat making him terribly dizzy.

"We can't go on much further." muttered Renn, leaning against a large rock to keep herself steady. "If Bale is more than a day walk away, neither of us will make it. Poor Wolf will be on his own, against hundreds of demons." Her eyes slid out of focus and she stumbled. "And what's worse is that I think the water is poisoness. Have you noticed that when you drink, your thirst doesn't go away? I recon we should stop drinking it." Torak felt hopelessness course through him.

"Great!" he shouted, making Renn start. "Now we have no water! We're stuck in the Otherworld, surrounded by demons, trying to find a person whose whereabouts are unknown without food and water facing certain death! How much more could go wrong?" He slumped down beside a huge cliff, his head in his hands. Ever since Fin-Kedinn had sent Renn to join the Foxes, nothing had gone right. He couldn't help but aim all his anger at the Raven Clan Leader. If he hadn't sent Renn off to the Fox Clan, he, Renn, Bale and Wolf wouldn't be stuck like this.

"Torak." whispered Renn, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is bad, but we have to carry on. If we don't, we lose the only hope of finding Bale and getting out of here alive. Come on." she offered him her hand and pulled him to his feet. Slowly Torak followed Renn as she set off once more down banks of the lake. The heat was almost unbearable. Many times Torak thought he saw fresh water but every time he reached the 'water' there was nothing but dry land there. Every time this happened he could here the demons cackling above him, laughing at how he had fallen for their cruel trick. On and on they pressed, each of them parched and starving. Torak looked at Wolf, his amber eyes full of certainty._ "How much further?"_ Torak asked him, glancing down the endless bank. _"Not too far."_ said Wolf, sniffing the air. Torak nearly jumped with joy.

"We're almost there, Renn!" Torak croaked. He looked back at her and felt his stomach plummet; Renn stood swaying on the spot, what little colour was in her cheeks had left. Slowly he walked towards her. "Come on, Renn, don't give up now. We can do this!" Renn walked forward, taking tiny steps like a new born fawn. She staggered slightly and would have fallen if Torak hadn't caught her arm._ "The pack sister! Is she alright?_" asked Wolf, running up to Torak._ "No."_ replied Torak. Fear had engulfed him._ "Is the pale pelted tailless nearby?"_ said Torak, looking at Wolf._ "Yes."_ said Wolf._ "Over there."_ Wolf turned his head towards something Torak hadn't noticed; a cave. Quickly he took Renn's arm and put it around his shoulder. Slowly, supporting her, he walked towards the cave mouth. He looked inside and gasped; thousands of red eyes were glaring at him. Beside him, Wolf growled. Several demons screamed and flew out of the cave and spiraled into the blood red sky. Breathing deeply, he entered the cave, supporting Renn and with his pack brother at his side.

Note to all CoAD fans: Okay, I've set up a CoAD forum for you to chat about the books. You can't miss it; it's the only one under Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. I hope you enjoy my story; everyone else's and go on the forum!


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

Ten

Slowly, and still supporting Renn, Torak edged inside. All at once the terrible smell of rotting carcasses engulfed them. Torak and Renn began to gag and not far away Torak could hear the sound of Wolf throwing up. As quietly as possible, Torak continued down the small cave, his eyes watering terribly.

"Is Bale nearby?" Renn croaked, her voice slurred.

"Don't know." Torak muttered. "But he is defiantly in here somewhere." Renn suddenly stumbled, forcing Torak forward. As he fell, his torso didn't hit solid ground, but instead overhung from a cliff.

"I'm sorry!" Renn cried, helping Torak to his feet. She looked down. "Torak," She said. "How do you suppose we're going to get down there?" Torak looked at her bemused, then realized what she meant; there was no other path, nowhere else to go but down. He glanced to his right. In the corner of his eye he saw a small ridge, only about half a fore arm in breadth.

"Over there. There's a small ridge. We can use that." said Torak, pointing at it.

"What about Wolf? How will he get down?" she asked, glancing around.

"Don't worry. He can use small ridges like this." said Torak. He walked over towards the ridge and carefully stood on it. He grasped at the slimy wall, trying to find something to keep him steady. Finally he managed to get balanced and began to edge his way across.

"Come on Renn!" he called looking around, but was unable to see her through the darkness. He heard the crumble of stone and the soft echoing of pads as Renn and Wolf began to walk across the ridge. Torak continued but nearly fell as it descended steeply. For what seemed like an eternity, Torak slowly clambered his way down. Eventually he reached firm ground. As he leant against the wall, trying to get the feeling back into his legs, Renn and Wolf joined him.

"We need to find Bale soon if we plan on leaving this awful place tonight." said Renn as she began to go in search for an exit. A distant 'humph' told him that she'd found it.

"Are you ok?" Torak asked her as he fumbled his way around the cave. Suddenly he tripped over something, causing him to fall. As he got up he realized that it was Renn's legs that he tripped over.

"Why didn't…" he began, but Renn quickly shushed him.

"Look down there." she whispered, pointing. Torak lent over the ledge. There, on a stack surrounded by a red lake was the shadow of Bale, who was sat at the edge of it.

"There has got to be away across." said Torak, looking around for a ridge like the one they had just climbed. Wolf padded up to Torak. _"Follow me!"_ he said as he trotted back into the darkness. He beckoned Renn then proceeded in Wolf's footsteps. He guided them to the cave wall. Squinting, Torak could just make out a small hole, only just big enough to fit him in. _"Thank you, pack brother."_ said Torak, scratching Wolf's flank. Carefully, he lowered himself down. Feeling the walls, he soon realized they were in some kind of tunnel.

"This way!" he called to Renn as he began to crawl along it. They had been crawling for some time when Torak saw light creeping into the dismal tunnel. He carried on, but banged his head on the wall.

"Why have we stopped?" asked Renn as she bumped into Torak.

"Dead end, but I think we can get through. Can I borrow your axe; I lost mine in that lake." Renn quickly unlatched her axe and handed it to Torak who began to chip away at the wall.

Renn listened to Torak chipping at the wall, immersed in thought. She wondered if Bale was okay, praying that he wasn't seriously hurt or worse. Wolf began to shift uncomfortably beside her, obviously not keen on the demons that dwelled nearby. Renn began to drift to sleep. In her dreams she saw Fin-Kedinn, his face etched with worry as he was talking with Saeunn.

"_He said he wouldn't harm her, so he won't!" _hissed Saeunn, turning around

"_But his whole clan has gone missing, including Renn!" _replied Fin-Kedinn

"_You should trust your friends!" _said the old mage, raising her voice.

"_There were whispers he'd gone over-"_

"_Don't listen to rumors!"_

"_I sent her there against my better judgment-"_

"_She is a strong girl, she will be alright-"_

"_What if she's not? It will be my fault!"_

"_FINE!"_ shouted Saeunn. _"If you don't think Renn can handle it, go and find her!"_ She turned on heel and stormed into her shelter. Fin-Kedinn sat down on a nearby rock, his head in his hands.

"_World Spirit,"_ he whispered._ "Please watch over my niece. Please see to it that no harm befalls her."_ Suddenly Renn woke up. She could hear a tremendous crash as Torak broke through the wall. Peering through the large opening, she could see Bale staring up at them, his jaw hanging loosely. He then split into a huge grin.

"I knew you'd find me!" he said.

"Grab my feet Renn, so I can haul Bale up!" shouted Torak. Renn quickly grasped his ankles and slowly, inch by inch, began to drag Bale into the tunnel. After many agonizing minutes, Bale was finally sat by the opening, wiping sweat from his brow.

"You're okay!" said Renn, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess." panted Bale

"What happened after they took you?" asked Torak.

"Well, the demons, they took me here. It was awful, the smell I mean. I couldn't sleep or anything. But the weird thing is that they gave me this." Bale un-tucked a hide necklace from the neck of his jerkin. Attached to the end of it was a red stone; the Fire Opal. "They told me to destroy it."

"Why would to do that though?" said Renn. "I would have thought they would want it keeping safe."

"Well, whoever owns it controls them." said Torak, absently stroking Wolf. "They obviously don't like being controlled." Renn thought about what Torak had said. He knew he was probably right. Then it clicked.

"Give me the Fire Opal." she said. Bale gave her a quizzical look before handing it over.

"What are you doing?" asked Torak as she hung it around her neck.

"My demons!" she cried "Come and take us from this realm. Return us to our world so that we can destroy the Fire Opal." For a moment everything was silent. All of a sudden there was a great howl as a gigantic demon in the shape of an auroch landed on the stack below them.

"Get on its back!" cried Renn, her heart thudding in her chest. What if it tried to kill them? Ignoring this awful thought she clambered onto the auroch behind Torak who had Wolf between his legs. As soon Bale had jumped on its back, the demon bellowed before cantering back towards the mouth of the cave. The monster twisted and turned, spiraling all over the place. As they left the cave, it flipped upside down, causing the Fire Opal to slip over Renn's head.

"Bale, catch it!" she shouted. Bale managed to lean back far enough to catch the necklace between his fingers. The auroch soared into the sky. Renn looked up and saw the portal becoming closer and closer. They crashed through it and came out inside the stone mouth, but they didn't stop there; the demon swooped through the mouth and cantered into the fresh air where it stopped abruptly, sending all four of the toppling off its back. Torak, Wolf and Renn landed on top of each other however, Bale was rather unfortunate and ended up rolling down the hill and into a bush at the bottom. As Renn began to stand up, she felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder and saw with horror that an arrow was protruding from it. She looked towards Torak who was writhing with pain, an arrow in his back. Wolf was beside him, trapped under a net.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" said Thiazzi.


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

Eleven

Thiazzi dragged Torak, Renn and Wolf to the ridge above the stone mouth, a strange glint in his eye. He led them to some kind of alter before forcing both Renn and Torak onto the stone table.

"What do you want with us?" spat Torak, glaring at Thiazzi.

"You'll soon find out." he said maliciously. He clicked his fingers and a demon-ghost like the one by Lake Axehead bound the pair of them to the table then lashed Wolf to a nearby tree. He saw Torak looking at the creature and grinned, baring his teeth.

"Ah, you've noticed my slave. He's a child without a name-soul. I put a demon there in place of the soul. Quite a fancy piece of mage-craft don't you think?" Renn glared at him with loathing.

"How could you do that to a child?" she hissed, spitting hair out of her mouth, her face contorted with rage making her fiercely beautiful. "You cruel man!" she struggled against her bindings for awhile but was unable to break them. All the while Thiazzi had his back to her, preparing a bizarre potion. Torak sniffed and a disgusting smell wafted up his nose. For some reason, it made him think of death. Thiazzi walked over to them and smeared it on their foreheads. He looked at Torak, hatred shining in his eyes.

"Why didn't you want us killed?" said Torak, remembering what Thor had said. "And where is your Fox-Clan friends?" Thiazzi placed his bowl down on a rock.

"You'll find out your first answer shortly." he said, turning pack to making another concoction. "And as for the Foxes, the only real use they have been is being part of the ceremony." he gestured at the table. Torak saw with horror that surrounding it was stakes, each one with a heart skewered onto it. "Mind you," he continued, making Torak jump. "That mage of his did manage to poison that arrow to make you Spirit Walk."

"What!" shouted Renn, struggling against her bindings again. "YOU did that! YOU lured Torak there!"

"Yes, I did. Unfortunately the Foxes thought he was a spy and sentenced him to death. Lucky you got away or the prophecy would not be complete." he turned away.

"What prophecy?" said Torak, who was slightly intrigued.

"The prophecy is that on the fourteenth year of the Spirit Walker's and the World Spirit's life, a great magic comes within grasp. If they are bound and their blood runs through each other's veins, the magic is trapped. Then if someone were to drink their blood mixed together, they would become all-powerful. They would control the weather, the animals, the clans, the trees and everything else." he once again began to turn around, but Renn stopped him once more.

"How do you know this is true?" she said mockingly. "Its preposterous." he smiled once more.

"One of you is born to a snake, the other a wolf. A traitor." he said simply. "And the spell can only be cast on a full moon when the red eye high is highest. I believe that day is today." The colour drained from Renn's face. "My little friend here is going to keep an eye on you." said Thiazzi, gesturing to the demon-ghost beside him. "I won't be gone for long, so don't try anything stupid." he walked steadily down the hill and out of sight.

Renn lay still, stunned. How was it possible that she was the World Spirit? She turned to talk to Torak, struggling because of the bindings.

"How are we going to get out of this one?" she hissed, glancing around. "Where's Wolf? Do you reckon-" Torak shook his head.

"He's tied down over there. Thiazzi probably needs him for part of the ritual. And I don't think Bale saw where we went." Renn looked at Torak, worry etched on her face.

"Torak," she said. "Do you really think I'm the World Spirit?" Torak brow furrowed; he was obviously thinking very hard.

"I think so." he said finally. "I mean, you look just how it's supposed to look in winter. You also have powers and everything." Renn pondered at what he'd said.

"But how?" she muttered. "I just don't get how." Torak looked at her and smiled meekly.

"I don't know. No one probably does. No one knows how I became a Spirit Walker." suddenly the bushes rattled, announcing Thiazzi's return.

"Not long now until I become the most powerful Soul Eater." he muttered. He began to whisper to himself as he added ingredients to his bowl. Anxiety overwhelmed Renn. What happened if they didn't escape? She would never see her uncle again. All her anger at him had subsided after her dream in the cave. She had a feeling it was more a vision than a dream. She couldn't help but wonder if her uncle's prayer could be answered. If she was the World Spirit, how could she protect herself from danger? If she was supposed to stop herself from being hurt, how come she hadn't miraculously escaped? Suddenly the bowl Thiazzi was adding things to burst into a blue flame. The bowl was intact and for some reason the heat of it wasn't burning Thiazzi.

"It is ready." he muttered. He walked towards them. As he closed in he thrust both of his hands into the flame then pressed one hand on each of their foreheads. Renn couldn't help but scream in pain as the Soul-Eater's white hot palm pressed onto her fore head. Thiazzi then placed his hands into a bowl of water, causing it to steam. He looked into the sky. The moon seemed to move straight above them, illuminating the alter.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot." he grinned as he walked towards Wolf.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" shouted Torak trying to lash out at Thiazzi. There was an awful ripping sound, a whine and Thiazzi stood up holding a tooth gleaming in blood. He walked closer to Torak, and sliced the bindings in on the hand nearest Renn. He grasped it and slit his wrist with the tooth, blood oozing from his wound. He edged towards Renn but a stone hit him on the shoulder, causing him to drop it in surprise. Everything from then happened in slow motion. Bale leapt from the bush, his spear in his hand. Swiftly, Thiazzi knocked an arrow in his bow and fired. The arrow hit its mark, piercing Bale's chest. Bale clattered to the floor, reached for his spear but was too late; Thiazzi had already stud on it and broken it in half.

"So," he said great anger in his voice. "You thought you could save your friends?" Bale glared at him, hatred gleamed in them.

"You'll die. I'll make sure that you live the rest of your sad life in the Otherworld, surrounded by demons. I'm sure they want to get even after all you've done to them." Bale spat at Thiazzi's feet.

"On the contrary, I think it is you that is to die." said Thiazzi. He unsheathed his knife and plunged it into Bale's chest. He gasped before falling to the floor. Thiazzi kicked some mud at Bale's still body. He didn't notice the stone around Bale's neck flicker and die.

"HOW COULD YOU!" screamed Renn. He ignored her and slit her wrist too. "HOW COULD YOU KILL HIM?" Thiazzi slapped her hard as he bound her hand to Torak's. Renn felt it burn, but didn't care. Beside her Torak was shaking with anger. She could also hear Wolf's growls from behind her.

"Now, for the final part." he threw ash over the pair of them. Thunder rumbled over head.

"Spirit Walker and World Spirit!" he cried. "Leave your bodies!" Renn felt something tug inside her. "Leave them! Leave your powers! Let them drift in your veins! Grant me-" he stopped. His eyes widened. He swayed and collapsed against the table. His eyes rolled back inside his head. Thiazzi's lifeless body fell to the ground, an arrow protruding from the back of his head. From the shadows someone walked towards them. The severed Wolf from the tree then began to cut through their bindings. Renn looked for the demon-ghost, but it was gone; it seemed it couldn't exist if its creator was dead. Their savior walked towards Renn. The lined face of Fin-Kedinn loomed over her. He severed her bindings and opened his mouth to speak but Renn rushed to hug him. Torak walked over towards them but he too was winded as Renn rushed to hug him. She didn't want to let go. When they broke apart Fin-Kedinn walked over to them.

"I'm so very sorry." he said solemnly. "I think it is time you two came home."


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

Twelve

The following days seemed to drift by in a haze to Torak. As they approached camp, a huge crowd of people rushed forward to greet them. Everyone from both the Seal and Raven Clans surged forward, hugging them and thanking the World Spirit that they were alright. Then Fin-Kedinn broke the news that Bale had died at the hands of Thiazzi. The entire Seal Clan mourned his death for many days. His body was retrieved from the alter and the funeral rite began. The Raven Clan took the river clay used for mourning and smeared it on their faces. Torak watched the Seals prepare themselves by wrapping one of their arms in sea weed. He had a biting sorrow in his chest as they carried Bale's body to the shore. There they placed it inside his canoe and pushed it out to sea. He watched as the canoe become a tiny speck on the horizon. He jumped slightly as Wolf laid his head on his knees. Absently stroking Wolf's flank, Torak couldn't help but wish that it was him they were sending out to sea.

Wolf watched Tall Tailless kneel silently by the great wet for many hours. He could sense that he was terribly sad that the pale pelted tailless souls had left. He couldn't help but wonder why they had gone. When his pack became Not-Breathe he could still smell and see their souls. He had no idea why they didn't just return to their bodies and get up and play with him. He knew Tall Tailless knew the answer, but he was worried he might snap at him. Instead he lay on Tall Tailless, soothed by Tall Tailless' forepaws running through his fur. The pack sister sat by them and began to talk to Tall Tailless in tailless talk. She had a biting sorrow in her voice, obviously upset that the pale pelted tailless had become Not-Breathe. He watched as she leant against Tall Tailless, breathing deeply and moaning the way taillesses did when they were very, very sad. He licked her hand and she yipped a little. Soon the big white wolf and all her little cubs had appeared in the sky. Wolf watched the great wet sigh and listened Tall Tailless and the pack sister talking quietly. He knew that they would soon come to terms that the pale pelted tailless had gone and hoped when that time came, all would be well.

Okay, I've decided that there WILL be a sequel to Ghost Hunter. I will be working on it in the next few weeks. I was going to wait till summer holidays, but I can't wait so it'll be sooner (sorry Rowan for telling you it will be coming in six months). R/T shippers will like this one. Anyway, thanks for reading my fic, I hope you enjoyed this one and I hope you enjoy its sequel.

Background info on sequel:

Like I said, R/T shippers will be satisfied with this one considering I got that many reviews off el about making it a r/t romance that I thought I might as well :). The sequel will be called Oathbreaker and will be based probably in the High Mountains. I won't say much more so not spoil it. Happy reading & writing!


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